Against All Odds
by PuiNikkiShowron
Summary: AU. Uzumaki Naruto attends one of the best private schools in Konoha. He has a crush on a wealthy and popular upperclassman named Sabaku Gaara, who has just become his new Math tutor. Despite the fact that they are from different worlds and social classes, the two boys manage to overcome the odds and fall in love. Rated M for language and sexual situations.
1. Extra Help

_Rated M for language and future sexual situations._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the original concept of Naruto, that belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. _

_Beta'd by ImperfectSnow_

* * *

_**Time to wake up! Time to wake up!**_

Naruto groaned as his alarm started blaring and noisily rolled around on the floor. It was the type of alarm that didn't stop ringing until the user got out of bed and actually caught it. It was perfect for Naruto, who was not a morning person at all, so he was forced to get up. But at the same time he absolutely hated it.

He rolled out of bed and stumbled around trying to find the source of his misery. It had rolled under his dresser where it was repeatedly slamming into the wall. Great. He got on his hands and knees to snatch the alarm and shut it off.

It was 5:30 in the morning.

Yawning, Naruto began his morning routine of showering, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed. He had exactly twenty minutes to do this and eat breakfast.

He looked in the mirror as he adjusted his tie on his school uniform. He hated wearing uniforms. It made him look super preppy, which was _definitely _not his style. And he was a little disappointed that he couldn't wear orange everyday. The uniform consisted of a forest-green blazer over a white dress shirt with a red tie, black slacks, and black dress shoes. On colder days he could wear a dark grey sweater vest, but he chose not to because that would be overdoing it.

Breakfast consisted of toast and orange juice. He didn't really have the time or the motivation to properly prepare his meal. But he did note that his cabinets were looking pretty scarce; he'll have to go shopping after school.

By 5:50 am Naruto was out the door and walked ten minutes to the nearest bus stop to catch the 6:05 bus (more like the 6:00 am bus, it always ran early due to lack of traffic). The bus ride took just about twenty minutes to get to the bus terminal, where Naruto had to transfer to another bus to get to the city center where he attended school. That ride could take at least an hour.

Naruto didn't complain. Well, not that much. The hour and a half commute was worth it, for he was attending one of the most prestigious private schools in all of Konoha. Never would he have imagined being able to go to a school like the Hidden Leaf Academy. It was the best and most expensive school in the city.

He was by no means rich. As a matter of fact, he considered himself between middle and lower class. He was an orphan who lived on his own after getting himself emancipated from his abusive foster father. Fortunately, he was able to get himself on his feet with the help of a distant uncle by the name of Jiraiya. His uncle was a famous author of erotic novels, so he lived quite comfortably. He supported Naruto by paying for his apartment and tuition as long as he got good grades and didn't get into trouble. That was all Naruto could take from him, though. He didn't like the idea of depending on someone financially. He got a part time job to pay for all his other expenses. Jiraiya wanted Naruto to make something of himself and get a good education, so he was more than willing to pay for school so Naruto didn't have to drop out and get a full-time job.

Naruto lived outside of the city in a small apartment complex. The rent was reasonable because living in the city cost way too much, and Naruto didn't like the idea of making his uncle pay $3,000 a month when he could easily pay $800 somewhere else. Hence the hour and a half commute to school.

The bus dropped Naruto off three blocks away from school. It was 7:30 am and class started at 8:00 am sharp.

"Oi, dead-last!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and turned to see his friends Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino approach. Since he started going to Hidden Leaf the four teens had become his best friends. Prior to meeting them the group was referred to as "The Dead-Lasts" by the more popular students. But the boys had taken a liking to the name and decided to own it as their official group name. In the world of the social cliques that dominated the Hidden Leaf, the boys were considered to be the lowest. Naruto thought it was strange for a school with upper-class students to have such a rigid social hierarchy. He thought all rich kids were the same.

Despite being warmly accepted into the group, Naruto was aware that his friends' families definitely had more money that he did. Inuzuka Kiba's family were famous dog breeders that owned a chain of the best puppy stores in the city, Akimichi Choji's family owned a chain of Japanese BBQ restaurants (the best Naruto ever had), Nara Shikamaru's parents were doctors that owned their own private practice, and Aburame Shino's parents were entomologists who came from a family that pretty much discovered every insect in Konoha and wrote a ton of books on them.

While they knew Naruto didn't come from some prestigious, well-known family (and frankly they didn't care), Naruto was self-conscious about his own financial status. That was the biggest culture shock when he started going to the school. No matter what he always felt uncomfortable being around people who had considerably more money than him.

Kiba clasped a hand on Naruto's shoulder as the blonde fell in line with his friends.

"Hey Naruto, my buddy, did you do last night's Math homework?" Kiba asked, giving Naruto's shoulders a little shake.

Naruto laughed and shook his head. "Yeah Kiba, you can copy my notes."

Kiba feigned mock offense. "Why do you assume I'm going to copy your homework? I could just be making sure you did it."

"Cause you always ask to copy my homework, even though all my answers are probably wrong." Naruto laughed.

Kiba sighed and clasped his hands behind his head. "Oh Naruto, you know me so well..."

The boys made their way up the steps into the school where they proceeded to get what they needed from their lockers. Naruto's locker was right next to Kiba's. He handed him his Math binder.

"Thanks man!" Kiba sat down on the floor to copy the notes. Naruto looked around nervously. "Shouldn't you do that somewhere else? A teacher could see you..."

"It will take me like, two minutes."

Naruto leaned against the wall and casually looked around to make sure a teacher wasn't walking by. His blue eyes wandered and fell on the sight in front of him.

His heart skipped a beat.

Walking down the hall were the Sabaku Siblings: Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara. They came front the most wealthy and powerful family in Konoha next to the Uchihas. Their father was a very well known politician.

Temari and Kankuro were both seniors while Gaara was a junior. Naruto tried _very_ hard not to stare at the redhead. In his humble opinion, the youngest Sabaku was one of the most attractive boys in school. Not only was he incredibly good looking but he was also very mysterious. He didn't understand why, but Naruto found Gaara's apathetic aloofness to be incredibly sexy.

As the siblings passed by Gaara gave Naruto a curt nod of acknowledgement. Naruto smiled and waved. He internally squealed over the encounter. It felt like a huge honor to have someone like Gaara notice him, a lowly freshman.

Oh, how he wished it could be so much more! Gaara being romantically interested in him was but a mere pipe dream.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice that his three friends approached and Kiba was whacking his legs with his binder to get his attention.

"God Naruto, you're blushing like a horny schoolgirl. What's got you all hot and bothered?" Kiba teased. Naruto blushed even more and snatched his binder. "I am not blushing! It's hot in here, that's all." He mumbled.

Choji and Kiba laughed, Shikamaru shook his head, and Shino tilted his head in curiosity.

His friends had long since known that Naruto was gay. They were also well aware that Naruto had a crush on Gaara (just by seeing how flustered he got whenever Gaara would walk past him). He wasn't ashamed of being gay but that didn't mean he was going to broadcast it to the whole school. He heard rumors of the hazing that went on and Naruto decided for once it was not a good idea to draw attention to himself.

The warning bell rang alerting the students that there was ten minutes before classes started. The four teens chatted as they walked to Home Room.

* * *

So far the day had been very typical for Naruto. The first four periods of the day seem to drag and it felt as if class was two hours instead of forty-five minutes. So he was ready for a break when fifth period lunch came around.

The five teens sat under a tree in the courtyard during lunch. Naruto realized he forgot his meal (or rather he didn't have enough food to even make one) and cringed at the idea of forking over his precious cash to buy over-priced food. Choji graciously offered Naruto some of his lunch, which was big enough to feed all five of his friends. Naruto sheepishly accepted the large bento box made of the Akimichi's famous food.

"Um, m-may I join you guys?" A timid voice asked.

The boys looked up to see Hyuuga Hinata. Her lavender eyes were cast down and a pretty pink blush graced her cheeks. Hinata was also a freshman that came from a wealthy and prominent family. She was a very pretty girl who was so painfully shy it was almost adorable. Her cousin, the handsome and popular Neji, was a junior.

"Sure Hinata-chan! You can sit next to me!" Kiba said. He grinned and patted the space next to him. Hinata thanked him. "Here, I'll get that for you!" He exclaimed and took the small pink blanket Hinata was holding her hands. He placed it on the ground in front of her and smiled. She smiled back and knelt down on the blanket that she used to prevent her white knee-high socks from getting dirty.

Naruto smirked as he watched Kiba interact with Hinata. They were close childhood friends and it was obvious Kiba had a crush on her (which he adamantly and repeatedly denies).

He was so absorbed in his conversation with Hinata that he did even notice the apple that was pelted at him until it hit his head.

"Argh! What the hell?" Kiba growled. Hinata gasped as the apple bounced by. Rubbing his head, Kiba turned, ready to curse out the jerk that dared to throw something at him. His face immediately fell.

Towering behind him with a rather sadistic smirk was Hidan. He was a senior and one of the worst bullies in the school. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and the sleeves of his blazer and shirt were rolled up to his elbows. He was so rebellious that he didn't even attempt to wear a tie.

Behind him was his friend Kakuzu, also a senior. He and Hidan were always together. They were a part of the biggest crime families and the most dangerous gang, the Akatsuki. This gave them a higher sense of self-entitled than the other students. No one dared to mess with them or else they would incur the wrath of the Akatsuki. The Dead-Lasts were harassed by these two at least once a day.

"Aww, it seems we upset the little puppy." Hidan taunted in a fake sympathetic voice. Kakuzu sniggered behind him.

"Fuck you, man!" Kiba fumed.

"Sorry, I don't do guys." Hidan taunted.

Kiba stood up, "Yeah, well you will after I throw your ass in jail!"

"K-Kiba..." Hinata gasped and covered her mouth in shock. Choji audibly gulped. Shikamaru face palmed. Shino pretended to be interested in some ants that were climbing up a tree. Naruto slowly placed his bento box on the ground.

Hidan stepped closer to Kiba, who in turn stepped back right in his lunch. Hidan narrowed his eyed and sneered, "Are you threatening me, mutt?"

Kiba gulped. No one threatened Akatsuki members with jail time and lived to talk about it.

Naruto gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He couldn't stand the sight of innocent people being harassed and abused. He already experienced enough of that in his life and he vowed to never let himself or anyone else he cared about experience that again.

"N-no! I-I was just j-joking Hidan! I-I swear! Right g-guys? Ha ha..." Kiba replied, his voice getting higher and shakier.

Hidan grabbed Kiba's shirt. "That wasn't fucking funny, mutt. I'll fucking put you down," He snarled.

Before Hidan could even raise his fist, Naruto was right in front of him, blocking Kiba, "Back off Hidan," He warned.

"What did you just say, dead-last?"

By this time the other studies in the courtyard were cautiously watching the exchange. _One of the Dead-Lasts were standing up to Hidan?_

Kiba tried to push Naruto out of the way. "Do you have a death wish?" He hissed in his ear. Naruto ignored him.

"I said back off," He warned the Akatsuki member, "And don't call me that."

Hidan let go of Kiba, who was already forgotten. He stared Naruto down. The blonde freshman held his ground and glared right back. "You better watch it, Uzumaki. You're asking for trouble."

"Don't mess with my friends. Or else I'll show you want trouble looks like," Naruto shot back. Truthfully, he was talking a big game and a small part of him was terrified. It was like being confronted by his foster father all over again - but he had to be strong after coming this far.

The tension increased as Hidan cracked his knuckles. Naruto hoped he wouldn't get beat up too badly...

"Is there a problem gentlemen?" A cheerful voice asked.

Naruto had to contain his sigh of relief. Hatake Kakashi, the English Literature teacher and fifth period lunch monitor, had approached the scene. He always had a habit of popping up out of nowhere whenever a fight was about to break out.

Hidan backed away but he still gave Naruto a death glare. "There's no problem, sensei," He replied sarcastically. Kakashi peered at him with his one eye as Hidan and Kakuzu stalked away. The tension dissipated and the whispering onlookers went back to their business.

Kakashi gave Naruto a warm smile and a reassuring pat of the arm. "Stay outta trouble kids," He said and walked away. Naruto and Kiba sat back so they didn't draw more attention to themselves.

"Holy shit Naruto, that was crazy! What were you thinking?" Kiba wailed as he unhappily cleaned the remnants of his lunch off his shoes. Hinata offered to share hers with him.

Naruto scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "I, uh, don't really know. I guess I was just fed up or something."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Troublesome." Choji nodded vigorously.

"You should be careful, Naruto. No one stands up to Hidan and gets away it." Shino warned. Naruto shrugged and continued with his lunch.

Nevertheless, Naruto made a mental note to heed Shino's warning.

* * *

Naruto groaned in frustration as he erased his answer. He was in the library during his free period trying to get most of his homework done. He almost decided to crumple up his Math homework and throw it out the window. The blonde had been stuck on the same problem for ten minutes.

Math was his worst subject and his only class that was not Honors. He was a good student because he worked his ass off to get good grades. Naruto was by no means a logical thinker, which was probably why he couldn't understand the damn subject. His grades in the class were mediocre at best; he never really got anything above a seventy-five. He really should go to extra help but he didn't normally have time after school due to his job.

Naruto sighed and leaned his elbows on the desk, his hands clutching his unruly blonde hair. He absentmindedly looked up at the group of students two tables ahead of him. Seated there was a group of the most popular students in the school.

Uchiha Sasuke was sitting at the middle of the table in all his rich-boy glory. The Uchiha clan was another one of the most richest and well-known families. They also seemed to be the subject of a lot of media gossip, for Naruto was always reading headlines about them in the papers. Sasuke, a sophomore, was practically a celebrity.

To the right of him was Haruno Sakura, Sasuke's on again, off again girlfriend. Currently they seemed to be on again since Sasuke had his arm around her. She was very beautiful and seemed nice, but all Naruto knew about her was that she was obsessed with Sasuke. Her parents were surgeons or something like that. Next to Sakura was Yamanka Ino, Sakura's best friend. Ino was one of those girls who developed early and flaunted it. Half the male students (and male teachers) lusted after her. Her family owned a very popular botanical garden and flower shop. Naruto didn't really know how someone could be rich selling flowers, but apparently people from all over the world ordered them. Even the mayor was a frequent customer.

Hyuuga Neji was also part of the group. He was gorgeous, mature and a bit arrogant, which for some reason made him even more appealing. Naruto's gaydar definitely went off with this one. Next to Neji was Sai, who was a male model and a talented artist. He was also most definitely gay. The last person, who seemed the odd one out and popular only by association, was Karin. She was a junior and Naruto didn't know much about her other than the fact that she did and sold a lot of drugs. Rumor has it that she was involved with a dangerous drug lord by the name of Orochimaru. She was also part of the Sasuke Fan Club, a name Naruto gave the group of girls who were all in love with Sasuke. He wondered if he and Sakura were always breaking up because he was secretly having sex with the members of said fan club.

Naruto sighed, looking away from the group that he'd never be apart of. He tried reading the problem again but at this point it looked like a foreign language to him.

"Uzumaki."

Naruto quickly sat up in his seat. Gaara stood on the other side of the table, staring at him with sea-foam green eyes. _Oh my God, those eyes_...and black lines surrounding them made him more mysterious - from afar it looked like he was wearing heavy eye liner. The beautiful red kanji tattoo on his forehead stood out against his pale skin. He wasn't sporting his blazer and his tie hung loosely around his neck.

"Um, hello Sabaku-senpai..." Naruto said. He could feel himself blushing. For some reason the redhead made him feel uncharacteristically shy. Gaara peered down at Naruto's book.

"You're doing Math homework," He observed. Naruto nodded, scratching the back of his head.

"You look like you're struggling," Gaara stated. If it were anyone else was talking to Naruto and stating the obvious he would have gotten annoyed - but with Gaara, well, the redhead was taking special notice in him!

Gaara tilted his head, "Need some help?"

Naruto blushed even more and waved his hands in front of him. "O-oh no S-Sabaku-senpai, that's okay. I don't want to bother you..." He ended up mumbling that last sentence, but Gaara had already walked around the table and seated himself next to Naruto. He pulled the Math textbook closer to himself and began reading the problem. Naruto was having an internal freak out. _Sabaku Gaara was voluntarily sitting next to him! And he was voluntarily helping him with his homework!_ Naruto started thanking the God he didn't even believe in.

"This here is an inequality," Gaara murmured, pointing to the problem, "I assume you know what that is." Naruto nodded, trying very hard not to be distracted by Gaara's low voice in his ear. He leaned a little closer, pretending to look at the problem.

"And what must you do with an inequality?" Gaara asked.

"Um, well...you have to get x by itself. But, uh, there are two x's..." Naruto replied.

The redhead nodded and reached over to grab Naruto's binder. Naruto's nose was blessed with his musky scent. He handed the blonde freshman a pencil and began guiding him through solving the problem. Naruto found Gaara to be much better than his actual Math teacher. _How did he make it seem so easy?_

The end of the period Naruto had successfully completed all the required Math problems. Gaara even showed him how to graph the equations.

"Thank you so much Sabaku-senpai! Really, I don't know how I could have done it without you..." Naruto said as he put his books in his backpack. Gaara stood up.

"If you ever need help again just ask," he said. Naruto blushed again.

"Um, I appreciate that. But I don't want to bother you all the time. I should really get a tutor..." He mumbled.

"I can do it," Gaara said.

Naruto blinked, "Do what?"

"Be your Math tutor," he said simply.

Naruto eyes widened, "S-seriously? You would do that?" This was too good to be true.

Gaara nodded, "It's no problem. I can help you during Study Hall." The way he talked made it seem as if it was an obvious plan. He took the pencil and wrote his number on the paper upon which Naruto had done his homework. Naruto's eyes widened even more and his jaw dropped. _Holy shit._

"You can call me if you need help outside of school," the redhead said.

The bell rang. Naruto never thought he could hear such a devastating sound in his life. He stood up and bowed, "Thanks Sabaku-senpai!"

Gaara nodded and turned to leave. Then he stopped and looked back, "You can just call me Gaara."

Naruto beamed. "Okay Gaara-senpai! You can call me Naruto!"

"No…_just_ Gaara, Naruto," the junior all but commanded and then seemed to smile ever so slightly before leaving.

The blonde gulped somewhat before a goofy grin spread across his handsome face. He mouthed 'Gaara' and felt his smile widen. He felt dancing in joy. This was officially the best day of his life. He beamed even more as he walked down the hall to his next class.

* * *

_Thanks for reading :) Reviews are always appreciated._


	2. The Best Thing About Being Bad at Math

_Sorry for the Chapter 2 Update fake-out. I had written an ending that probably would have ruined the story. Thank you to those who gave me their honest opinions about that, and I hope you like this new ending._

_And to those who are reading this for the first time, enjoy!_

_Beta'd by ImperfectSnow_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!_

* * *

**6x + 2 + 6x 14**

Naruto stared at the Math problem as if it were a threatening animal. He was getting a little better at solving said problems, but that didn't mean he enjoyed doing them.

The best part at being bad at Math, however - for Naruto at least - was having Gaara help him.

It had been a week since the redheaded upperclassman offered to tutor him in Math. Everyday during Study Hall, Gaara would help Naruto do his homework. Despite his dislike for the subject, the blonde teen could sit and listen to Gaara explain how to solve problems for hours. He would sit right next to Naruto and lean in as he pointed to whatever he talked about. His warm, deep voice would ghost into Naruto's ear and the boy had to try his hardest not to shiver.

_God, Gaara was a great tutor._

Naruto looked at the Math problem once again. It was 10:00 at night and he was sitting at his desk, trying out some practice problems. He had a Math test coming up and he really wanted to prepare himself, but thinking about it only made him think about Gaara, which then lead to some fantasies that ended with the two boys making out on the Study Hall table.

The blonde sighed and closed his workbook. Maybe he'll do some practice problems on the commute to school.

Just as he was about to get up, his cell phone buzzed. He looked over at the caller ID and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

_Gaara was calling!_

Naruto flipped the phone open almost violently, "Hiya, Gaara!" He greeted cheerfully.

"Naruto," that was Gaara's way of saying 'hello'.

"How ya doin'?" Naruto asked as he cradled the phone on his ear and lay down on his bed.

"When is your test?"

"Ummm, Thursday I think? Yeah…Thursday."

The redhead seemed to be thinking on the other line because there was silence. "That's two days from now. How ready do you think you are?" He asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I'd say...65% ready?"

Gaara hummed in acknowledgement, "Naruto,"

Said boy sat up a little on his bed in anticipation, "Yeah?"

"We should study Wednesday. After school."

Naruto nearly let a girly squeal of excitement. "R-Really? You want to help me study?" He asked.

"Of course. Is that not the point of a tutor?" His tone hinted at the absurdity of Naruto's question. The blonde blushed.

"Heh heh. I guess I didn't expect you to go all out with this," the blonde admitted. Truthfully Naruto didn't really understand why someone as high-class as Gaara would show interest in him - a nobody. He figured that Gaara would help him once in awhile, not everyday! Not that he was complaining. It just seemed too unreal.

Gaara, however, didn't seem concerned with social status at all, "The goal is to make sure you improve your grades. So, I will continue to help you until that happens," he stated, matter-of-factly.

Naruto beamed, "Thanks Gaara! I will do my best!" He clenched his fist in determination.

"I know you will. See you tomorrow."

"Okay. Night Gaara!"

Naruto hung up the phone and nearly jumped for joy. He and Gaara were going to hang out after school! He hoped that they could become friends, at least. The boy lay back down and shut off his light. He fell asleep with a bright smile and gorgeous, redheaded tutor-filled dreams.

* * *

The blonde cursed under his breath as he sprinted from the bus stop to school. He woke up late, which had thrown off his entire morning routine. First period started in ten minutes.

He made it to the front steps in a record time of three minutes. He could squeeze in extra time to stop at his locker. Naruto reached the top of the steps and went to pull open one of the double doors when it unexpectedly swung open and smacked the poor freshman right in the face. His head snapped back from the impact as he cried out and covered the sore spot on his forehead.

"Watch where you're going, dead-last!" Hidan snickered like the total douchebag that he was.

He'd seen Naruto running from down the block and decided to greet him with a door to the face. It was the gang member's retaliation against Naruto for telling him off in his fight with Kiba.

Naruto groaned, his eyes tearing up from the sharp pain. He heard the door close and growled in frustration as he flung the door open and sprinted to class. He had no time to go to his locker and made it to first period right as the bell rang. He hurried to his seat, oblivious to the strange looks his classmates were giving him. Kiba took one look at his friend and gasped.

"Dude! What the hell happened to your head?" His voice practically rang through the whole class.

Naruto frowned in confusion. He winced as pain shot through his skull, "What?"

"Dude, you're bleeding!"

Naruto felt his forehead and cursed. His head had a sore bump and it felt moist. That asshole Hidan swung the door hard that the impact broke Naruto's skin. He looked at his head and sure enough there was blood from the wound. _Damn._

Kiba looked worried, "You should really go to the nurse..."

The blonde shook his head. He dropped his backpack on the floor and went to the teacher's desk to get a tissue. The Math teacher, Yuuhi Kurenai, looked up from her desk to glance at Naruto as he pulled a tissue from the box. She gasped and dropped her pen.

"U-Uzumaki-san! Are you all right? What happened?"

Naruto inwardly groaned, hoping not to cause a scene. "I'm alright, Sensei. I walked into a door," he said, dabbing the blood away with a tissue.

Kurenai narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. Sighing, she quickly scribbled a hall pass and handed it to the wounded student.

"Go to the nurse," she ordered sternly.

"But Sensei, I said I'm fine!" Naruto said hastily.

Kurenai insisted by shaking the pass in front of his face. Naruto frowned as he took the piece of paper. The class stared at him as he took his leave. He glanced at Kiba, who gave him a sympathetic wave.

"Oh my! What happened to your head Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, already tired of being asked that question.

"I was hit with a door."

Nurse Shizune was busy fussing over Naruto's forehead. She cleaned the wound and reached for a bandage.

"How did that happen?" she asked as she peeled open the bandage and placed it on Naruto's head, "let me get you some ice for that bump."

Naruto poked at the bandage. He really didn't want to go walking around school with this on his head, "I reached to open the door, but someone opened it on the other side and hit me."

Shizune handed him an ice pack wrapped in cloth. He thanked her and placed it on the ever-growing bump. He winced.

"That person must have swung open the door really hard," the nurse replied. Something in her tone suggested she really didn't believe him.

Naruto didn't notice. "Yeah, he did. Stupid jerk..." he muttered.

Shizune frowned in concern, "Who did?"

The blonde was about to answer but then stopped. He really didn't want to get Hidan in trouble. Well, he did, but he would rather not get jumped by the Akatsuki.

"No one. It was an accident," he finally said.

Shizune sat down in front of Naruto and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Her expression softened but her tone remained serious. "Uzumaki-san, if someone is hurting you, you need to report it."

"W-what?" Naruto spluttered. "No! I'm not being abused or anything like that. It was an accident," he insisted.

He knew that look Shizune gave him - she didn't believe him and most likely thought he was making some lame excuse. He got the same looks as a child when he tried to deny that his foster father wasn't abusing him.

"Look, um, I'm fine. Can I go now?" he asked. Damn, now he looked desperate. He sighed.

Shizune took the ice pack and inspected his forehead, "I guess so. Your head looks okay now."

Naruto jumped up, startling the older woman. He bowed in thanks and hurried out the room before she could say anything else.

Shizune went to her office phone to dial a number.

Naruto sighed as he sat down for Study Hall. The day had been (in the over-used word of Shikamaru) most troublesome. During lunch he was called to the Guidance Counselor's office where he had been questioned and lectured about bullying. He assured the guidance counselor, Umino Iruka, over and over again that he wasn't being bullied (although that wasn't entirely true). Besides, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Maybe.

All his thoughts were dispelled when Gaara sat down next him. The blonde smiled brightly. "Hiya Gaara! How was your day?" he asked as he took out his Math homework.

"Naruto," Gaara answered. He peered at the boy's forehead, "What happened?"

Naruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "I got hit by a door this morning," he replied. The more he said it, the lamer it sounded in his head.

Gaara narrowed his eyes at the blonde, "Who hit you?"

Was Gaara angry? Naruto couldn't be sure, but something told him that the upperclassman was not happy to hear this.

"Um, Hidan did. He has a grudge against me 'cause I stopped him from beating up my friend, Kiba," he admitted.

"Hidan. I know of him," Gaara stated. He stroked Naruto's forehead softly. The freshman had to control himself from shivering. "Let me know if he gives you anymore trouble," the upperclassman commanded.

Naruto's blue eyes widened. "Oh no, that's not necessary. I don't want to cause you any trouble," he said, waving his hands in front of his face.

Gaara looked the boy straight in the eye, "It's no trouble."

Naruto blushed and nodded. Gaara turned his attention back to the Math homework. Naruto smiled to himself. _Gaara wanted to look out for him!_ Once again the redhead made his day so much better.

* * *

It was almost 10:00 pm by the time Naruto got out of work. He worked as a bus boy at his favorite restaurant, Ichiraku's Ramen. The job was easy, his boss was awesome, and he could eat ramen for free while on the clock.

He waved goodbye to the manager as he was leaving. Ichiraku's was only a fifteen-minute walk from his apartment. Naruto was exhausted, but happy. Tomorrow he was finally going to meet Gaara to study for his test after school. He was bursting with excitement. Maybe they could get ramen after studying!

Naruto whistled happily as he walked up the stairs to his apartment. He fished his keys out if his jacket and unlocked the door. As he was entering his home his cellphone rang. Naruto pulled his phone out and looked at the caller ID.

_Pervy Uncle._

"Hi Jiraiya!" He greeted. His uncle was currently out of town doing God-knows-what. Supposedly, he was in the process of writing a new book.

"Hey kid. How's it going?" Jiraiya asked on the other line.

Naruto cradled the phone on his shoulder as he began getting ready for bed.

"Good! I just got out of work! How's the pervy book coming along?"

The author sighed on the other end, "Not so well. I think I need new material."

Naruto laughed, "New material? Like maybe not writing pervy stories?"

"Now why would I do that? My whole livelihood depends on those stories."

Naruto rolled his eyes and sat on his bed, "Well, I don't know what to tell you."

Jiraiya laughed, "So kid, how's school? You doing your work and all that?"

"Yup! I even got myself a tutor!"

"Tutor, eh? How's that working out?"

Naruto grinned, "Great! Gaara is really smart and has been very helpful!"

Jiraiya chuckled, "Gaara you say? That rich kid you've been crushing on?"

The blonde blushed in embarrassment. He had forgotten that he told his uncle about his schoolboy crush. "Uh, yeah..."

"Well, hot damn boy! You guys do it yet?"

"What? No, you pervert! Besides, I don't think Gaara would like me in that way..."

"Never say never, boy. Not everyone is how they seem."

Naruto sighed. It was a comforting thought, but he still thought it unlikely. What would Gaara want with a poor kid like him?

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "I, uh, called because I have some bad news."

The student frowned, "Bad news? What is it?"

"Kurama is going to be released from prison."

Naruto's blood ran cold at the sound of his former foster father's name. "W-what? Why?"

"He's being released on good behavior."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in disbelief, "Is this some kind of joke? _Good behavior_?"

"That's what the lawyers said."

Naruto held his face in his hands. His monster of a foster father, a man he never wanted to see ever again, was being released back into the world. He hoped that they would lock him up for life. They should have after all he did to the poor boy.

Jiraiya seemed to sense Naruto's distress for he said, "Don't worry Naruto. Kurama is not to make any contact with you, nor is he to come near you. It would be a violation of his parole."

"What if that doesn't stop him?" He whined.

"Relax kid. He doesn't know anything about you now. We'll take precautions of course, but mark my words; I will not let that psycho come anywhere near you."

Naruto was not wholly convinced, but what else could he do? He was terrified to run into his foster father again, but he couldn't let that ruin his life. Maybe he wouldn't be able to find him anyway.

"All right. Thanks for telling me, Jiraiya," he said.

"I hope I didn't ruin your day," his uncle replied regretfully.

"It's okay. Tomorrow is a new day!" He tried to say cheerfully.

Jiraiya chuckled, "That's my boy! I'll let you go now. Let me know how it goes with that Gaara boy, eh?"

Naruto groaned. "You're not writing me into one of your perverted novels, Uncle Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya sighed, "Why do you have no respect for my craft?"

* * *

Naruto eagerly waited for Gaara on the steps after school. Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru and Choji watched the blonde fidget nervously in amusement.

"Relax man. You're making me nervous," Shikamaru muttered.

"I can't help it, you guys! This is, like, a dream come true...Ahhhh, what if I mess this up?" Naruto whined.

"Uh, aren't you guys just studying? How can you mess that up?" Choji asked, munching on a candy bar.

Kiba laughed, "It's probably the closest thing to a date that he's gonna get!"

Naruto glared at his friend briefly before a glimpse of red hair caught his eye. He gulped. Gaara and his siblings had exited the building. They walked right past Naruto, and for a brief moment he was afraid that Gaara would ditch him, but the redhead just turned around and looked at him.

"Are you coming?" He asked.

Naruto couldn't help the huge grin that came across his face. "Yeah! See ya guys!" He called after his friends and followed Gaara down the stairs.

"Good luck Naruto!" Kiba called back.

Naruto tried not to blush at the implications in his friend's tone. He followed the Sabaku siblings to the sleek black SUV that waited for them. A man in a black suit jumped out to open the back door. Temari and Kankuro got in. Gaara gestured for Naruto to go in front of him. The blonde freshman looked nervously to his friends, who were all giving him knowing smiles and thumbs up. He also noticed that a few other students were watching him with curious looks.

Naruto gulped and stepped into the car. "Thanks," he muttered. Gaara entered after him and the door shut behind him.

Naruto had never been in such a luxurious car in his life. The back could probably fit six people, at least! There was leather interior and all different kinds of lighting options. Temari and Kankuro were sitting across from them. Kankuro fished out his iPod Touch (newest model, of course) and put on his Beats studio headphones. Temari was looking at Naruto, her legs and arms crossed. She smirked.

"So, you're Uzumaki Naruto," she said.

The aforementioned teenager's eyes widened at Temari's acknowledgement. He smiled and nodded, "Yeah!"

"Hm. I'm Temari and this is our brother, Kankuro," She said tilting her head to indicate the person next to her.

He turned and nodded at Naruto, "Hey."

"Uh, hello! Nice to meet you both!" The freshman said.

"We've heard so much about you," she said, the knowing smirk still on her face.

"O-oh really?" Naruto blushed and glanced over at Gaara, who was sitting in the same stance as his sister. He was also looking out the window.

"My sister exaggerates," was all he said.

"Oh?"

"Gaara! Don't mind him. My little brother doesn't talk much, so whenever he says more than one sentence on a certain subject it's considered a lot to us," she said, smiling at her brother.

"Anyway, you're lucky to have Gaara here as a tutor. He's _very _smart," she added, almost teasingly.

Naruto tried not to stare at Gaara in amazement, so he just looked at his lap. He nodded.

Temari continued to smile at the pair in front of her. She seemed aware of something that Naruto wasn't, but he didn't think too much about it. All he could think about was how nervous and excited he was to go to his crush's house.

* * *

Calling Gaara's home a 'house' was a severe understatement. The Sabakus lived in one of the biggest mansions in Konoha. Big gates opened as the chauffeur pulled into the crescent-shaped driveway. The man in the passenger seat jumped out to open the door. Naruto stepped out after Gaara and once again tried not to gape.

He had never seen a real mansion before. It looked absolutely beautiful from the outside. Gaara motioned for the blonde student to follow him.

The front double doors opened up to reveal a huge foyer with a grand staircase. Naruto didn't have an opportunity to take in his surroundings because his tutor was halfway up the stairs and he quickly scrambled after him. Gaara led him through another set of double doors, down a short hallway, and finally stopped in front of a large white door with a golden 'G' on it. He opened the door.

_Holy shit._ Gaara's bedroom was bigger that his living room/kitchen combo. There was very expensive looking wood furniture, a wall-mounted flat screen TV, and even a small couch. Naruto noted that Gaara really liked the color burgundy, for it was the color of his sheets and drapes. The room exuded such elegance that blonde felt unworthy to be in it.

"Wow Gaara! You're room is so nice!" Naruto exclaimed. The redhead motioned for him to sit on the couch. The boy happily sat down and placed his backpack on the floor.

"I'm going to change. You can start taking out your study guide," Gaara said. He turned and went through a door on the other side of the room.

Naruto opened up his backpack and spread out his Math books on the coffee table in front of him. He looked at his study guide, but he was too distracted thinking about how Gaara was changing on the other side of the door. He wondered what his tutor looked like without a shirt. Naruto was certain the redhead had a fantastic body. He probably worked out and had a lovely six-pack to prove it.

The blonde student continued to daydream as Gaara emerged from the other room wearing a tight, black long-sleeved shirt and jeans. There was something about an all-black ensemble that Naruto found incredibly sexy, especially on his tutor. Then again, Gaara could be wearing a burlap sack and still look hot.

There was a timid knock on the door. Gaara opened the door to reveal a middle-aged housemaid carrying a silver tray filled with snacks, a pitcher of water, and two glasses. She politely bowed.

"Excuse me for interrupting, Gaara-sama. I brought refreshments for you and your guest," the maid said. The redhead nodded and the woman walked over to place the tray on the table. Naruto moved his book to make room.

"Thanks a lot!" He said cheerfully and grinned.

The maid returned the smile. "Thank you Nina-san," Gaara said. The maid bowed again and left. He joined Naruto at the table and poured them drinks.

"That's so cool that you have a maid! She seems really nice," the blonde said. He picked up a cookie and took a bite, "Mmmm! This is so good!"

"Nina-san made them," Gaara said. He observed in amusement as his student hummed with happiness and ate another cookie. He wanted to watch the blonde boy more but they had work to do.

"Shall we start?" Gaara asked.

Naruto pouted briefly but then smiled, "Okay!"

The teens worked for nearly three hours on the Math problems listed on the study guide. Naruto would do the problems and then Gaara would check them. All the previous tutoring sessions were paying off because Naruto did pretty well, answering forty out of fifty questions right. If he had tried doing this a month ago, he probably would have given up and done something else. Now Naruto had plenty of motivation to try harder for the sake of impressing Gaara, and of course getting a good grade. Guessing from how well he did on the study guide the freshman hoped to aim for an eighty.

It was dark by the time they were finished studying. Naruto felt prepared to take his Math test for the first time since he started the class.

"I think you'll do well tomorrow," Gaara said as he helped his student put away his books. Naruto beamed.

"It was all thanks to you Gaara-sensei! I really feel ready to take this baby on!" He said, making a fist in determination.

The redhead's lips curled in a small smile. This caused Naruto to grin in return. The blonde really liked when he made his impassive tutor smile. He wanted to see that expression more.

Naruto gazed into his tutor's eyes and could feel himself drowning in sea-foam green. He suddenly felt like he was forgetting how to breathe.

_They were sitting rather close to each other too!_

"Are you hungry?" Gaara asked.

The blonde student blinked. For one small second he thought they would have 'a moment', but then he realized how silly that notion was. Gaara raised an almost non-existent eyebrow, "Well?"

Naruto snapped back to reality, "Huh? I'm sorry?"

His tutor narrowed his eyes, "I asked if you are hungry, "

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed, feeling quite foolish, "I am hungry. But it's okay! I can eat when I get home."

"Nonsense. Dinner will be served soon. You will eat here," Gaara said with a tone said it was not be argued.

Gaara's forcefulness always took time to get used to. Naruto was happy about that because it made life easier for him, although sometimes he questioned Gaara's intentions.  
Naruto agreed to have dinner with Gaara and presumably the rest of his family. The blonde student put all his books away.

"So, Gaara! What's for dinner?" Naruto asked.

"Well, I usually have fish with my meal because I do not eat meat. The cook makes something different for everyone else," his tutor said.

Naruto raise his eyebrows. "You have a cook? Like, someone who makes your meals for you everyday?" He asked incredulously.

Gaara nodded, "We have a couple people who cook for us."

"Wow! I can't even imagine having someone cooking for me! Well, I guess it wouldn't be that much different if I had one because they'd just make me ramen anyway!" the blonde laughed, babbling nervously.

Gaara looked amused, "Ramen? Is that all you eat?"

Naruto grinned. "It's the best meal ever! Plus it's super easy to make. I don't have to worry about burning my apartment down boiling water!"

Gaara stood up and gave Naruto a sideways glance. "No wonder you're so skinny. You need to eat better," he beckoned the freshman to follow him, "Dinner should be ready soon."

Naruto looked at himself as he stood up. "I'm not that skinny!" He protested.

Gaara gave a faint chuckle as he led Naruto out and down the stairs to the dining room. Nina was busy setting up for dinner. She stopped to bow at Gaara as he entered.

"Gaara-sama, dinner will be ready shortly. I also set up a place for your friend. I presume he will be joining you?" The older woman asked.

"Yes, he will, thank you," Gaara said. He sat down in the first chair on the left. Naruto sat next to him. "Will my father be joining us?" Gaara asked nonchalantly, not particularly interested in the answer.

"I afraid not. Sabaku-sama is away on business in Suna," Nina said regretfully.  
Gaara did not look surprised and, as such, he did not reply. Nina excused herself to check on dinner.

"So, what do your parents do?" Naruto asked. He took off his blazer and rolled up his sleeves.

Gaara sat back in his chair, arms crossed. "My father is a city councilman. Before we moved here he was mayor of Suna for several years. My mother died when I was six," he said offhandedly - as if to get the subject out of the way as soon as possible.

"Oh! Sorry to hear about your mom," Naruto said.  
The junior merely shrugged, "It is fine. You do not need to apologize."

Naruto still felt bad because he knew how awkward talking about dead parents could be. His own parents were killed in a car accident when he was just a baby, so he never knew them. Thinking of them brought him a strange discomfort.

Temari sauntered in and took a seat across from Naruto. Kankuro strolled in after and sat across from Gaara. Nina and a younger maid entered carrying plates of food. Naruto, Temari, and Kankuro were served plates of a delicious-smelling stir fry dish. It had noodles, various vegetables, and pieces of beef. Gaara was served seaweed salad topped with raw salmon and a sauce, with a bowl of white rice on the side. Water and iced tea was served in pitchers.

Naruto felt as if he was eating in a fancy restaurant rather than the Sabaku household. His meal was almost too good to be considered home cooked. He actually used fancy metal chopsticks as opposed to the plastic or wooden ones he used at home.

"So, Uzumaki, where are you from?" Temari asked casually.

Naruto was taken aback by the question. "Um, I'm from here? I lived in Konoha my whole life," he answered.

"What do your parents do?" Kankuro asked.

Naruto's face reddened. It was strange, he had the same conversation with Gaara before, but he never thought what to say if he were ever asked the same question. In the world of the Hidden Leaf Academy, popularity and status was defined by what your parents did. So it was only natural to be asked that question.

"My parents died when I was a baby. I live on my own now," Naruto mummbled, looking at his food. He didn't want to see their reactions.

"You live on your own? That's cool." Temari said, impressed.

Naruto smiled, "Yeah, I guess so."

"How do you manage that, if you don't mind me asking?" Kankuro asked, curious. Gaara shot his older brother a cold look before glancing at the blonde next to him.

"Oh, well I got myself legally emancipated so I could be on my own, and my uncle helps me with rent and school. I have my own job so I can pay for everything else!" he said cheerfully.

The older Sabaku siblings looked genuinely surprised. Gaara showed no emotion, although he was looking at Naruto very intently. The young guest wondered if the upper-class family was judging him, but nothing more was said on the matter and Temari quickly changed the subject.

After dinner, plates were taken away and Nina's home-made ice cream and cookies were served as desert. _Even the ice cream was home-made!_ Naruto loved the food so much that Gaara had the maid make a plate of food for him to bring home.

By 9:00 pm, Naruto was ready to go back home. Gaara walked him to the foyer.

"I'll call a car to take you home," Gaara said, picking up a house phone.

"It's okay, Gaara. I can take the bus. Besides, I live...far," Naruto said, suddenly self-conscious.

"It does not matter. Where do you live?"

Naruto shuffled his feet. "North Konoha," he said, naming the district of Konoha self-conciously.

Gaara gave no indication that he cared where Naruto lived. He called the chauffeur up to drive the blonde student home. The two boys walked outside.

"Well, uh, thanks Gaara! For everything." Naruto said, smiling.  
Gaara gave a small smile back. "I think you'll do well on your test tomorrow, Naruto," he replied.

The blonde pumped his fist in determination, "I'm gonna pass this baby, believe it!"

"I know you will."

A black town car pulled up the driveway. The chauffeur came out to open the back door. Naruto gave his tutor a small wave, "Night, Gaara!"

Gaara gave a curt nod, "Good night, Naruto."

Naruto got into the car as the chauffeur closed the door. The car pulled away and Naruto watched Gaara's silhouette by the front door until he couldn't any longer, and then there was nothing but dark road in sight.

* * *

_I hope you liked this one! This ending is definitely better than the last one, seriously._

_Reviews are encouraged :)_


	3. Rewards

_Disclaimer: I don't __own__ Naruto!_

_Beta'd by ImperfectSnow_

* * *

The moment of truth.

Naruto sat impatiently at his desk while Kurenai-sensei passed out the Math test. She made the students sit in every other seat during exams.

The blonde student squirmed in his seat. Now it was time to see how much Gaara's tutoring has helped him. Or rather, how much he retained from being around his gorgeous tutor. The thought of making Gaara proud motivated him even more to do well.

The ruby-eyed woman placed a blank test on Naruto's desk. He had about fifty minutes to complete twenty problems. He picked up his pencil and took a deep breath.

_Here goes nothing..._

* * *

"Dude, so what happened last night?"

The Dead-Lasts (plus Hinata) were all huddled around Naruto at the lunch table in the cafeteria. They sat inside because it had been raining for most of the day. Naruto blushed at Kiba's question.

"Um, well he helped me study," the blonde freshman mumbled, embarrassed.

Choji poked his arm, raising his eyebrows suggestively, "Is that all you did?"

Naruto nodded, "Then he invited me to stay for dinner and had me driven home."

"Oh, he's quite the gentlemen isn't he?" The dog lover asked teasingly.

"He's really nice!" The blonde chimed with a grin.

"So you gonna make a move or what?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto shook his head sadly.

"I don't even know if he likes me. Gaara is really hard to read. I don't want to fuck it up by making a move then I find out he's not gay. I'm grateful he's even my tutor!" The blonde whined.

"P-perhaps you should wait for Senpai to make the first move?" Hinata suggested. She glanced at Kiba as she said this.

The rest of the group agreed. "You should play hard to get or something. Or maybe just flirt with him a lot. He's bound to notice and make a move, right?" Shino asked.

"Hard-to-get girls are so fucking annoying! Just be, like, obvious without being obvious," Kiba said, taking a bite out of his chicken leg.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the dog lover. "What I think Kiba means is to be subtle about your feelings. Unless Senpai is a complete idiot, he'll get the hint."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Naruto groaned and covered his face with his hands, "You guys make it sound so easy!"

Shikamaru snorted. "Who says love is easy? It's too troublesome, that's what it is." He shook his head tiredly.

* * *

Naruto looked forward to Study Hall so he could tell Gaara all about his test. He was positive he did really well. He only got stuck on a couple of problems, but his tutor told him to answer them the best he could instead of not answering.

When he entered the library, he saw Gaara sitting at a desk with an open book in front of him. Leaning against the table was Hyuuga Neji, smirking smugly as he chatted-up the redhead. There was an ever-so-slight smirk on Gaara's face as he listened to the pale-eyed student.

The sight of the two upperclassmen talking made Naruto uneasy, almost jealous. Gaara was popular, but seemed unaffiliated with the big cliques in school. Naruto couldn't even recall seeing him with anyone but his siblings, although he seemed friendly with Sai and Neji.

Naruto took a seat at a table behind Gaara. They didn't seem to notice him, which was disappointing.

"So, you should really come out with us to Sharingan tomorrow night," Neji was saying.

Sharingan was one of Konoha's hottest nightclubs, which was owned by Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. It was supposedly hard to get into, which made it even more exclusive.

"Sasuke said he's getting a private room with bottle service. It'll be fun. Plus it's been awhile," Neji said, stroking Gaara's hand. His hand lingered for a bit before the redhead moved his hand away.

"Indeed. I might stop by," Gaara said vaguely.

"Oh, come on, Gaara. I know you; you'll most likely not stop by. Look, just come with me for a few hours, and if you don't like it we can go somewhere else," Neji replied. The 'we' seemed to imply just him and Gaara.

The redhead leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "I'm surprised you're even going. If I remember correctly, you were never much of a party person."

The Hyuuga shrugged, "Sasuke is always bugging me to come out, so I figure, 'why not?', you know? It's quite fun."

Gaara narrowed his eyes at him, not quite convinced. "It seems you've changed since last year."

Neji grinned, flashing pearly white teeth, "Change can be a good thing. But, I assure you that certain...things about me are the same."

The Sabaku raised his pale eyebrows at that.

The brunet inclined his head, "So, will I be seeing you tonight? We're going at ten."

"I suppose I can stop by for a little while," Gaara conceded.

"Good. See you later, Gaara."

The redhead nodded, "Yes, I will see you later."

Neji glanced at Naruto briefly before walking past him. The blonde frowned, watching the Hyuuga leave the library.

"Naruto."

His attention quickly turned back to Gaara, who had turned his seat around to look at him. Naruto smiled, "Hiya, Gaara!"

The redheaded upperclassman moved into the seat across from the blonde freshman.

"So, how was your test?" He asked.

"Good! I think I did good! Maybe I can get an eighty this time!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. He described to Gaara the test and which problems he had trouble with. Gaara leaned forward in his chair, listening intently.

"It does sound like you did well. But I had confidence that you would anyway," the redhead said, brimming with confidence. "What section will you be learning next?"

Naruto shrugged, but pulled out his Math syllabus out of his binder, "Uh, linear equations?"

Gaara nodded in acknowledgement, "I will help you with that."

"Seriously? You still want to tutor me?" Naruto asked.

The redhead furrowed his brow, "Do you still require one?"

The blonde nodded vigorously.

"Then I will continue to tutor you."

Naruto felt his heart swell with happiness. It seemed as if Gaara genuinely wanted to help him. He wondered if this meant they could become closer friends.

"When you get your test back tomorrow, I will treat you to dinner, no matter what the score," Gaara declared.

Naruto's jaw nearly dropped, "Huh? Gaara you don't have to do that!"

"Yes, I am aware of that, but I want to reward you for your hard work. You deserve it,"

The freshman beamed, "Wow, Gaara! That's...so nice of you. I don't know what to say," the blonde admitted, blushing.

Gaara smirked at the boy's reaction, "You can start by saying yes." Naruto grinned.

"Okay!"

* * *

Naruto nearly sang and danced through the halls the next day, holding his Math test in the air for all to see.

He had scored a seventy-nine! Well, it was actually a 78.75, but that rounded up to a seventy-nine, which was almost an eighty! Kurenai-sensei even wrote 'Nice Improvement!' on his test. Last time he had scored a sixty-five and she had written 'See Me'.

The best part would be showing Gaara. The redhead was sitting on the windowsill, looking out at the courtyard below. Naruto eagerly bounced over to him and proudly held out his exam. His tutor took it and looked it over. The blonde freshman anxiously waited for his reply.

Gaara impassively flipped through the test, taking a few moments to peer at the questions Naruto got wrong.

Then he gave the blonde a very warm smile.

_Oh my God_. It was the first time Naruto had seen such a genuine expression of happiness on Gaara's face. The sight brought Naruto pure joy, knowing he was capable of bringing out such an emotion in his normally stoic tutor.

"Great job, Naruto. You did very well," the redhead complimented.

Naruto beamed, "It's all thanks to you! Really, if it wasn't for you I would have failed!" He threw his arms around Gaara for a big hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He chanted.

The blonde's exuberance was drawing the attention of the students sitting nearby. Ino and Sakura were watching and whispering, no doubt planting the seeds of gossip for the rest of the school. Neji narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the sight of Naruto's public display of affection towards the redheaded upperclassman.

Gaara gave Naruto a slow pat on the back. The blonde reluctantly pulled away. He could still smell the lingering scent of his crush on his uniform.

"I am going to fulfill my promise to reward you with dinner. We can go anywhere you'd like," the redhead said.

"I don't know too many places in the city, but I'm down for anywhere that has good ramen!" Naruto exclaimed.

His tutor smirked and shook his head. "Alright. I know a place. We will meet after school," he all but commanded.

Naruto nearly 'whooped' in joy, "I'm really excited!"

Gaara swung his legs off the window sill so Naruto could sit beside him. The blonde eagerly took the offered spot next to his redheaded crush. The more he hung out with Gaara, the bigger his crush became. He liked that the upperclassman wasn't concerned with social status like everyone else in the school was. He was genuine in his feelings and it made Naruto happy that he was actually invested in improving his Math grades. He forgot what it was like to be with someone who cared for him.

The bell rang, signaling the end of his time with Gaara until after school. He waved goodbye to the redhead as he parted ways with him at the library entrance. He turned to go to his next class.

"Uzumaki," a cold voice called.

Said student turned around to find Neji standing behind him. The pale-eyed upperclassman did not hold a friendly expression.

"Uh, hi there, Hyuuga-senpai. What can I do for ya?" Naruto asked nervously. He did not like the vibes he was getting from him.

"I've noticed that you've been spending an awful lot of time with Gaara lately," Neji said.

The blonde nodded, "Yeah, he's been tutoring me,"

The Hyuuga stepped closer, "That may be so, but you should remember your place, _freshman_."

"M-my place?" Naruto asked in confusion.

Neji glared at him, "Sabaku is out of your league, Uzumaki. So keep your _lower-class_ hands off him, understand?"

Naruto felt like he was just slapped in the face. This is what he hated most about the kids in the school. He was pretty confident in general, but it was pretentious bastards like Neji that made him feel ashamed and unworthy. Now he was pissed off. The blonde grit his teeth and clenched his fists. "Gaara is my _friend_," he growled.

The brunet gave him a smug smirk, "Keep telling yourself that."

The blonde had to restrain himself from punching the bastard. Besides, he really didn't have time for this; he had to get to class.

"Fuck off, Hyuuga. I'm not gonna take this crap from you," he spat. He went to turn away but Neji grabbed his arm with a vice-like grip. Naruto hissed in pain and surprise.

"Keep away from Gaara or else Hidan will be the last of your worries," the Hyuuga said menancingly. He promptly let go of Naruto's and turned away.

"Asshole!" The blonde freshmen called after the upperclassman. He wasn't going to let Neji get in the way of his friendship with Gaara.

However, he was slightly nervous because this was the second time he had been threatened by an upperclassman. In the world of the Hidden Leaf Academy, people were just toys for the rich and privledged. There was was no such thing as an empty threat from someone who had all the connections in the world to follow through.

* * *

Naruto waited behind a tall tree in front of the school. The students happily exited the building to start their weekends. The blonde peered from behind, the open door in his line of sight. He didn't really want to run into Neji again because he was probably going to sock that pale-eyed bastard right in his pretty boy face. His confrontation with the Hyuuga really put him into a foul mood.

The underclassman spotted Gaara and Kankuro walking out the doors. Naruto called out to the redhead, whose searching gaze found him by the tree. Gaara strode over to him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, mildy confused.

Naruto looked around before smiling, "Waiting for you!"

His Senpai narrowed his eyes at him. "Come, my driver will take us there," he said, and turned to walk towards his family's black SUV. Naruto shrugged and followed.

"Hey, Sabaku-senpai!" The blonde chirped as he sat across from Kankuro. The upperclassman gave Naruto a quick wave before putting on his headphones.

"Where's Temari?" Gaara asked as the car pulled away.

"She said she's staying after school for something," his brother replied.

The youngest Sabaku leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. Naruto fidgeted with his tie, "So, uh, where are we going?"

Gaara smirked at him, "You'll see,"

Naruto frowned, "You're not taking me to someplace fancy are you?"

"You'll see."

"Aw, c'mon! At least give me a hint!" The blonde pleaded.

"There will be ramen."

Naruto pumped his fist in the air in excitement. "Awesome!" This made his normally stoic tutor snort in amusement - quietly, of course.

After 20 minutes, the SUV pulled up in front of a small Japanese restaurant by the name of Oh! Taisho. Naruto stared at establishment in curiosity while Gaara told his driver when to come pick them up. Then the two students went in.

The restaurant was relatively small, filled with the noisy dinner crowd. There was tables up in front next to the bar and additional seating in the back. Gaara and Naruto hung up their blazers before taking seats by the sushi bar. The waitress left them their menus.

"Order whatever you like," Gaara said.

Naruto opened the menu and sure enough there was a whole page of ramen to order. There were so many delicious options that he couldn't decide! Just when he was about to decide, he felt Gaara lean in close to his left side. A shiver ran down his spine when he felt the redhead's warm breath in his ear.

"Would you like an appetizer? I hear the yakitori is quite good," he murmured.  
The blonde freshman could barely process what his crush was saying. He nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment. Gaara used his hand to turn the page to the yakitori menu. Naruto felt his heart leap when Gaara's wrist brushed against his hand.

"Pick however many you want," the warm voice whispered in his ear.

Naruto was so flustered that he could barely read the menu. It was a wonder how he concentrated during their tutoring sessions.

The waitress arrived to take their orders. The blushing blonde nearly forgot what he wanted because he was too busy thinking about Gaara's uncanny ability to sound seductive even when he was ordering food. Naruto ordered ramen that had pork and hard-boiled in egg it, a beef yakitori, and a bacon-wrapped scallop yakitori. Gaara ordered hokke with rice, salad, miso soup, scallop and asparagus yakitori, and two onigiri for himself and Naruto.

"G-Gaara, thanks a lot for all this. You really didn't have to take me out to dinner just cause I passed my test. A pat on the back would have been okay," the blonde student said.

Gaara took a sip of his water. "I know I didn't have to. I'm doing it because I want to. You work very hard and should be acknowledged for it," he stated, matter-of-factly.

Naruto blushed. He didn't really have anyone in his life that acknowledged how hard he worked to make it on his own, save for his uncle. It was nice that someone else noticed.

"Heh, thanks. Do you do this with all the people you tutor?" He asked jokingly.

The waitress served them their yakitori. Gaara picked up one and inspected it, "I don't tutor anyone else." he stated.

Naruto nearly choked on his beef in shock, "Y-you don't?"

The junior shook his head. "You are the only one," he said before taking a bite of a scallop.

"I'm the only one? How come?"

Gaara shrugged.

_Wow_...It was a even huge shock to know that he was the only person Gaara tutored! It did make sense since Gaara wasn't exactly a social butterfly, and he only spoke to people when it was absolutely necessary. It made the blonde freshman feel even more special knowing that his crush made him an exception. But why?

The waitress served them their main dishes with the onigiri. Naruto happily dug into his ramen, which was absolutely delicious. Not better than Ichiraku's, of course, but pretty damn good nonetheless. Gaara noticed how much Naruto enjoyed his meal and smirked.

When they had finished their meal, Gaara insisted he pay the check. Naruto learned not to argue with his Senpai because he was going to lose anyway since the redhead did as he pleased. They left the restaurant and waited outside for the car to pick them up. It was 5:00 pm and everyone was rushing home for the weekend.

"So, uh, what are your plans for the weekend, Gaara?" Naruto asked.

Gaara, who was staring intently at a parked red car across the street, broke his gaze to look at him. "Tonight I'm going out with Neji somewhere. Other than that, I have no plans," the Sabaku said.

Naruto tried his best to hide his scowl at the sound of the Hyuuga's name. "Neji, huh. I didn't think you were the 'going out' type. Are you, uh, good friends with him?" He asked with a forced calm.

"No, I don't go out much. Neji is just an old friend," the redheaded junior said.

Naruto had an odd feeling that there was more to their relationship than that. Why else would Neji threaten him? Perhaps they had something in the past because Naruto was pretty sure Gaara was single, but he didn't talk about his personal life at all. It was obvious that the Hyuuga still had some feelings for his tutor. _Great, now they're going out to one of the hottest clubs where they'll probably get drunk and hook up in a dark corner somewhere._ Naruto was in a foul mood again.

Gaara noticed the blonde's sour expression, but before he could inquire, his car arrived. The two students got in.

"You can just drop me off at the bus stop, Gaara," Naruto mummbled. The redhead raised his almost non-existent eyebrows.

"I can just have you driven home," he said.

The blonde gave him a strained smile, "No, no! That's okay. You need time to get ready for your night out. I'll be fine, really!" He replied.

Gaara narrowed his eyes, "Naruto..."

"Really, Gaara. You've already done so much today. I don't want to inconvenience you any more," the blonde said, looking at his lap instead of into his tutor's sea-foam green eyes.

The redhead frowned, "You don't inconvenience me."

"Even so, I'll take the bus."

They didn't say anything after that. Naruto felt like an idiot. Honestly, he had no reason to get so worked up, it's not like he and Gaara were dating. They were friends - that's all.

Despite that, Naruto still felt hurt in a way. He wasn't necessarily mad at Gaara, but he was mad at Neji. Knowing what a bastard that upper-class pretty boy was, he would definitely try to make a move on the redhead. Who wouldn't fall for Hyuuga Neji? He was gorgeous, intelligent, and wealthy. Naruto couldn't even compete with him.

"We're near the school. Where do you catch your bus?" Gaara asked.

"The bus stop is on Centre Street."

The redhead tapped the window separating them from the driver to inform him where to drop Naruto off. The blonde glanced at the junior as he leaned back into his seat. His green eyes studied him intensely. He looked like he wanted to say something. Naruto blushed.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked timidly. That was the last thing he wanted, the perfect way to ruin his entire day.

Gaara frowned, "No, not at all." Slightly baffled, he sighed quietly, "I just wished you'd accept what I have to offer. I want to help you in every way possible."

Naruto was thrown off by his answer. It's not what he expected to hear. The answer was very straightforward, but at the same time he did not understand. What did Gaara want to offer him? He felt silly for not being accustomed to such behavior.

The SUV slowed to a crawl right in front of the bus stop. Naruto reluctantly unbuckled his seatbelt, "Thank you, Gaara. I really enjoyed our dinner," he said.

Gaara nodded slowly, "Me too...Good night, then."

The chauffeur opened the door. As Naruto was stepping out, he felt a hand tug on his arm. He looked over to see the redhead staring him with a strange look of...longing? No, that couldn't be. He did look like he had something to say. He frowned again and squeezed the blonde's arm.

"Text me when you make it home," he said quietly.

Naruto's heart nearly stopped. All he could was nod before getting out of the car. Gaara's face was the last thing he saw before the chauffeur shut the door. Even through the black-tinted windows he could feel the redhead's piercing gaze as the car pulled away.

The blonde sighed as he sat down on the metal bench. He checked the time on his phone before pulling out a bus schedule. Perfect timing, the bus should be here any minute.

* * *

Down the street from where Naruto is sitting, a red car slowly turns and parks at the corner. The driver has a direct view of the oblivious blonde student.

The driver pulls out a notepad filled with illegible handwriting. They scribble an asterisk right next to the sentence: _Hidden Leaf Academy, 8 am - 2:30 pm._

Beneath that, they write:

_Centre Street bus stop._

The bus turns left onto the street. They watch Naruto get on the bus before taking the car out of park and following.

* * *

It was already midnight.

Naruto couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard he tried. He lay on his bare back staring up at the ceiling, his mind wandering.

All he could think about was Gaara. He wondered if the redhead really did got out to Club Sharingan with Neji. He tried to picture them in their fancy VIP room with all the other rich underage kids drinking their expensive bottles of liquor. It didn't seem like Gaara's scene at all. What if he and Neji left together?

Up until the other day, Naruto didn't question Gaara's sexuality. Seeing the way Neji flirted with his tutor and his tutor neither blowing him off nor encouraging him, made the blonde think otherwise. Plus, it looked they had something going on. Perhaps they hooked up once?

Naruto groaned and flipped on his side. He was no Hyuuga Neji. The upperclassman was confident and went right after what he wanted. The blonde, however, had no experience in flirting. Gaara was his first real crush. _Damn!_ Why does this have to be so complicated? He didn't even have anyone to talk to. His friends had no experience with girls and he shuddered to think the kind of advice he would get from his pervy uncle.

The blonde sighed and looked at his cellphone. Several times he contemplated texting Gaara to see what he was up to, but thought better of it. He didn't even know if they were at that level of friendship where he could just randomly text him. Naruto put his phone down so he couldn't see the display and attempted to fall asleep again.

That was when he heard a noise.

He sat up, peering in the darkness of his bedroom. It sounded like faint rattling...from outside his room. Naruto carefully got out if bed and crept to his door. He turned the knob and slowly pulled it ajar.

The sound slightly increased in volume. The rattling was the sound of his front door.

_Holy shit. Someone was trying to break in!_

Naruto hurried into his kitchen to grab a knife before tiptoeing to his front door. Whoever was on the other side was trying to turn the door knob. There was also a scraping noise.

Naruto scowled. It sounded like they were trying to get the door to open by using a card to force it. Not particularly looking forward to potentially beating the shit out of someone, Naruto gripped the doorknob and twisted it the opposite direction.

The door knob stopped.

The blonde waited for the intruder's next move. It was quiet for a few moments before he heard the sound of running footsteps. With a sigh of relief, Naruto unlocked his top chain lock then his door knob. When he opened the door there was no one in the hallway. He inspected his door - nothing was broken.

Naruto closed and locked up his door. He felt a little uneasy. Break-ins were not too common. There was no security, but the door that lead into the building was locked at all times. However, that didn't mean the intruder couldn't have picked that lock too.

He put the knife on his kitchen table before going into his room and locking the door. He'll have to tell his landlord, even though there wasn't much he could do. If that jackass was stupid enough to come back then he would be ready for him.

* * *

The next day Naruto had work at Ichiraku's from 11:00 to 6:00 pm. The restaurant was busier on the weekends so he was not short of work.

The day had not started too well from him. After the almost-break-in Naruto couldn't fall asleep. Then he had to talk to his landlord, who was conveniently not home, so he left a note. Not much he could do, anyway.

During his break, Naruto sat in a back room, enjoying his bowl of free ramen. He fished out his cellphone from his jeans pocket. Two missed calls. One from Jiraiya and one from Gaara.

_Holy shit, Gaara called me this morning!_

Naruto frantically pressed the CALL button. He held his breath and crossed his fingers as the phone rang. He had missed the call an hour ago; he hoped that something didn't change that prevented Gaara from answering the phone.

"Hello, Naruto," Gaara's impassive voice said.

The blonde couldn't help the ridiculous grin that came across his face. In that moment he forgot everything and just concentrated on the soothing sound of his tutor's voice.

"Hiya, Gaara! Sorry I missed your call earlier; I'm on break now at work. How ya doin'?" he asked cheerfully.

"I am good. I wanted to know...if you wanted to hang out today," the redhead said before adding, "after work, I suppose."

Naruto smiled with his mouth wide open. _Holy shit! Gaara wants to hang out with me and not do school work!_

"YES! Uh, I mean, yes, I would love to hang out with you!" The blonde blurted, "I have work until six. Oh, but I also have to go grocery shopping...Never mind, what do you want to do?"

"I'll come with you."

Naruto blinked, "What?"

"I said, I'll come with you grocery shopping," Gaara stated simply.

_Holy shit!_ "Oh, no! I can just do it tomorrow-"

"No," the redhead cut him off. "I will come with you. Besides, I want to see where you live," he said, the hint of a smile in his voice.

_Holy shit! Gaara wants to visit me? He wants to see where I live?_

Naruto felt nervous. His place was a closet compared to the redhead's house. He wondered how his crush would react if he discovered that he wasn't rich.

"O-okay. That sounds great!" He said nervously.

"Good. Where do you work?"

"Ichiraku's Ramen. It's on Pennywood Avenue."

"I will see you at six, then," Gaara replied.

Naruto couldn't help but smile at the sound of that. "Yeah! See you then!"

"Bye, Naruto," the redhead murmured.

"Bye!" Naruto hung up and let out a girly squeal of excitement. He stood up, nearly knocking over his half-eaten bowl of ramen, and danced around the room. It seemed whenever he was having a bad day, Gaara would swoop in and make it all better. It was 4:00 pm right now, signaling the end of his break. Two hours until the end of his shift - which meant two hours until he saw Gaara.

The last two hours seem to drag by despite the blonde freshmen's eagerness. He was so antsy that his manager told him to calm down before he had a heart attack. Gaara had that kind of effect on him.

At 6:00 exactly Naruto clocked out and bolted out of the restaurant. Gaara was standing outside, leaning against a shiny, red BMW. The redhead wore black skinny jeans, Doc Martens, a cashmere V-neck sweater, and a hooded leather jacket. Naruto's jaw dropped. He looked so fucking _sexy. _Top that with his black-lined green eyes and red kanji tattoo and you got the sexiest redhead to ever grace this Earth. Naruto felt dingy in comparison, clad in his baggy blue jeans that were one size too big and orange t-shirt that said, "Banzai!" in big letters.

Gaara smirked and opened the passenger door. "After you," he said with a bow. Naruto laughed and got in.

The passenger door closed and seconds later the redhead was behind the wheel. He started the car and signaled to pull to out of his parking spot.

"Sweet ride, Gaara," Naruto said, beyond impressed.

"Thank you," Gaara replied, still smirking.

The blonde freshman watched as his tutor focused on driving. _How the hell does this guy make even driving look sexy?_ Naruto didn't realize he was staring until Gaara glanced at him. He blushed and shifted his gaze to his lap.

"I passed a supermarket on my way here. Shall we go there?" His tutor asked.

"Uh, yeah. Make a U-Turn." He pretended not to look at Gaara's fine hands make the maneuver.

"I'm not surprised you work at a ramen restaurant. How was it today?"

Naruto grinned, "It was good! Busy, but good. I couldn't wait to leave though."

Gaara raised a thin eyebrow in curiosity, "Why's that?"

_Cause I couldn't wait to see you,_ Naruto thought. That would have been an awkward statement to say to his secret crush. He tried a more subtle statement:

"'Cause, you know, ah, I-I was looking forward to hanging out with you!"

_Real smooth delivery, Naruto! _The blonde screamed in his head.

Gaara's lips quirked with a slight smile, "I was looking forward to hanging out with you as well."

"Really?"

The redhead made a left turn into the parking lot of the grocery store, "Yes. I enjoy your company, Naruto," he said seriously.

The freshmen could feel the warm blush creep on his cheeks. He never knew one simple statement could make him feel so happy. It gave him a small hope that his crush could potentially return his feelings.

Gaara parked the car and cut the engine. The two boys got out to start shopping.

Naruto happily strolled through the aisles of the store, choosing the cheapest and on sale food items. Most the the time he was too lazy to cook, so that's when ramen came in. He also picked out apples, oranges, bread, milk and peanut butter. He couldn't think of what else he needed.

Gaara looked at Naruto's cart in disapproval, "Is this all you're getting?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, I don't really have enough money or space for more - not to mention, I don't really eat that much besides ramen," he chuckled sheepishly.

The redhead narrowed his eyes before grabbing the cart and walking away. Naruto hurried after him, "Hey! Where are you going?"

Gaara said nothing as he added and replaced the food the blonde student had chosen. He picked up a pack of edamame after apparently deciding it was his preferred brand and placed it next to Naruto's pile of instant ramen. The Sabaku continued in this way until was half-full of high-quality health food that he had never even thought about buying due to its cost. Naruto sighed when he realized that, on top of everything, none of the items were on sale.

When the redhead tried to get rid of the ramen cups, the blonde quickly stopped him. "You do not need this much ramen," Gaara said.

"Yeah, but the ramen is _on sale!_ You gotta take advantage of these thngs! Trust me," Naruto insisted.

His tutor looked at him quizzically before nodding and pushing the cart away.

Naruto watched helplessly as the junior marched right up the the cashier to ring up their groceries. His jaw dropped at the grand total of $95.37. Gaara didn't even blink as he handed over his bank card.

"Gaara! This is too much! You don't have to pay-"

The redhead silenced the teen with a raise of his hand, "I want to buy these for you. It's my money and I can spend it how I please. Now, can you bag the groceries?" He asked.

Defeated, Naruto placed all the food in plastic bags while Gaara collected his card and the receipt. He helped him place the bags in the shopping cart.

"So, what should we make for dinner?" Gaara asked, smirking.

Naruto beamed.

* * *

_I know I left you hanging there! Don't worry, it continues in the next chapter._

_Reviews are nice :) _


	4. A Flood of Bad Memories

_Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine._

_Beta'd by Imperfect Snow_

* * *

Naruto thought he could die of happiness right now.

He was currently in his kitchen, with Gaara, cooking dinner! It was actually quite adorable to see the wealthy Sabaku in such a domestic setting.

Naruto busied himself making rice and edamame, which Gaara insisted they buy because he thought the blonde didn't eat enough vegetables. Naruto had never cooked the peas before, not to mention his crush didn't know anything about cooking, so it was a definite learning curve for the duo.

Gaara dumped the edamame in a pot of boiling water. "What now?" He asked.

Naruto grinned. "Well, we cook the fish now! It's easier to just grill it in the oven. Come!" He gestured for the Sabaku to join him.

Gaara watched his cooking sensei wash his hands before handling the raw salmon fillets. The redhead followed suit. Naruto tore off a piece of aluminum foil to place the fish on.

"I don't really have any seasonings but you can never go wrong with salt!" The blonde said as he reached for the shaker. He handed the container to Gaara.

"You wanna do it? Just shake a little bit on both sides, but not too much. Two shakes should be good, I think."

The redheaded nodded and Naruto watched in amusement as Gaara tentatively salted both sides of the two salmon fillets. When he was done, he looked at the blonde for the next instruction. The freshman grabbed an oven mitt, opened the oven, and pulled out the grate. He gingerly picked up the foil and placed it on the grate before pushing back in and closing the oven.

"While all that is cooking, let's set the table!" Naruto announced.

The two students went about getting plates and chopsticks to put on the table. Naruto felt a bit nervous while watching Gaara take out his plastic dinnerware and eating utensils. However, the redhead barely noticed. When dinner was ready, the blonde freshman served the food and poured glasses of water for the both of them. He heard the redhead murmur 'itadakimasu' and waited in anticipation as his crush raised his chopsticks to his lips and took a bite out of the salmon. The redhead's mouth quirked up in a small smile.

"This is great, Naruto. You cook well," he complimented.

Naruto's heart swelled up so much he thought it might burst. He couldn't help the crimson blush, which accompanied a ridiculous grin, from spreading across his face.

"Thank you! Although, you did help a whole lot, too!" He said excitedly.

Gaara took another bite of his fish, followed by some rice. He nodded, "yes, thank you for showing me how to cook. It was enjoyable."

The blonde student began eating his own meal, content with how well it turned out. He could actually cook well when he put some effort into it. Aside from being lazy, he found cooking for himself to be too lonesome, what with having no one to share it with. He smiled to himself at the thought of sharing this time with Gaara.

The redhead noticed his soft expression and asked curiously, "what are you thinking about?"

Naruto blinked, not expecting the question. He flushed as he looked down at his plate. "Um, well, I was just thinking how nice it is to cook for someone," he mumbled.

"Well, I am glad that I can make you feel that way," Gaara replied. The blonde glanced up at him and beamed.

The teens enjoyed their meal while getting to know each other. Naruto was not surprised to hear that Gaara was an honors student and top of his class, next to Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke. His favorite class was on the political history of Konoha and was an avid reader, mostly of non-fiction books.

After dinner, Gaara helped Naruto clean up the plates. For dessert, they had sugar cookies and tea in Naruto's room. The blonde felt nervous excitement having his crush in his room, even if they were just talking. He sat on his bed while the redhead sat in his wooden desk chair. The junior glanced at framed photo of a newborn Naruto with his parents. Gaara could see how much the freshman resembled his father.

"How long have you lived alone?" He asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"For two years now. I moved here once I was legally emancipated," Naruto replied.

The Sabaku furrowed his brow. "May I ask...why?"

The blonde inclined his head, "Why what?"

"Why did you become emancipated? I thought you were an orphan."

Naruto squirmed in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable. He sighed, but it sounded more like a shaky, nervous laugh.

"I, uh, did it to get away from my foster father. Well, I guess I should really say 'former foster-turned-adoptive father'."

Gaara's eyes widened, stunned. The blonde became nervous, but not in a good way. He never spoke about his former foster father with anyone in a long time. He had put that time behind him, even though the man was apparently out in the world now. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Gaara, but he wondered if he should open up about it. The redhead already proved to be caring and understanding, but he was afraid to ruin things by revealing the skeletons in his closet.

He glanced up at his crush, who looked genuinely concerned, wanting to say something. Naruto was afraid he might have already said too much.

"What happened?" Gaara whispered. He noticed how uncomfortable the blonde looked being asked that question. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

_He _wants_ to know..._The Uzumaki suddenly felt the need to confide in his friend. He hung his head. "It's okay. I've never told any of my friends about it. No one really knows what happened, except for my uncle..." He trailed off, his voice anxious.

"I understand. You can trust me, Naruto." The redhead said quietly. His green eyes only confirmed that truth.

The blonde freshmen knew that he could trust Gaara. Confiding in him felt like the right thing to do.

The blonde sat back against the wall and motioned for the junior to sit next to him. Naruto held onto his folded knees while Gaara sat beside him, his legs stretched out across the bed. The freshmen closed his eyes, took and deep breath, and opened them, gazing at nothing in particular.

"After my parents died, I ended up in foster care. I was shuffled around to different homes. It was really shitty 'cause it felt like I was never truly wanted by anyone. All I wanted was to find a family. I was in foster care until I was five, when I was finally adopted. It's every foster kid's dream to be adopted, but for me...it was probably the worst thing that could have happened.

"I was adopted by a man named Kyuubi Kuramai. I was his foster kid for a while before that. He was...a monster, to say the least. He was incredibly strict with me. I couldn't do anything without his permission. Whenever I broke the rules, he would punish me. First, it was spanking, but then he started using a belt. He would lock me up in a closet for hours, or he would tie me to my bed and leave me alone all day. Once I tried to run away and he beat me so bad I couldn't walk for a week. It was like he enjoyed making me suffer." The teen shuddered and his blue eyes seemed to be looking into some distant memory that was only real to him.

Gaara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Naruto realized that tears were falling down his face. He wiped his forearm across his face, the material of his orange shirt soaking up the moisture.

"He was more than just physically abusive. He always cursed at me, telling I'm a piece a shit without him, and how no one will ever love me like he did. Can you believe that? That fucker claimed he _loved_ me. It's bullshit when I think of it now, but at the time I believed him. I was so afraid of him. He threatened to kill me if I ever tried to run away again or told anyone. So when I went to school, I pretended I was a normal kid and whenever teachers would ask about my bruises or why I was limping...l'd just say some kids in my neighborhood beat me up.

Things only got worse for me. I tried so hard to be a 'good son', which meant not giving him a reason to torture me, but he still found ways...One night when he was really drunk, he came into my room, and he...he..."

The blonde was sobbing, trying to block out the traumatizing memory. He wasn't even aware that Gaara had wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close.

"H-He tried to touch me. It was the first time I tried to fight him...but he got even _angrier_ and punched me and tied m-my hands...and he...h-he..._raped_ me. I cried, I screamed, but he g-gagged me...I-I thought I was going to die. _I wanted to die._ I thought the only way to escape him was to die, so when I was nine I tried to kill myself." He turned his head so that Gaara couldn't see his face, couldn't read the shame there.

"I don't remember how, but I ended up in the hospital. They put me in the children's psych ward and the doctors questioned me about everything. At first I wouldn't talk at all. They knew something was wrong with me, so they kept me there. Kurama never came to see me, and it took me awhile to realize I was safe from him there. I ended telling the doctors everything and they called police, but Kurama disappeared. I don't know how, but they managed to find an uncle on my dad's side named Jiraiya. I went with him when I was discharged. Jiraiya helped me get my life together. It was his idea to get me emancipated, actually. He got me this apartment and helped me get into a good school. I really owe him my life."

"What happened to your adoptive father?" Gaara asked.

"_Former_ adoptive father. I hate the thought of that bastard being my legal guardian. I don't want any ties to him, so I just call him my former foster father. Anyway, he was arrested and sent to prison."

"I am so sorry, Naruto," the redhead murmured. He tentatively gathered the weeping blonde freshman into his arms, his hands hovering awkwardly above Naruto's shoulder before he finally gripped the shaking teen firmly. His eyes darted around the room, not sure where to settle themselves before he looked down at the part of the blonde's face that wasn't covered and his gaze softened.

Naruto buried his face into the Sabaku's soft, cashmere-clad shoulder as he slowly began to calm down. The whole experience proved to be quite cathartic, but emotionally draining as well. Reality settled in as the blonde realized he just opened up about his dark past to his crush, who was currently holding him tight in his arms. He blushed furiously as he reluctantly pulled away, but Gaara still kept a comforting arm around his shoulder.

"Sorry for turning this into a therapy session," Naruto mumbled, sniffling.

"It's alright. I feel a little guilty about making you stir up such horrible memories," Gaara replied apologetically.

The blonde gave a small, dim, smile. "It's okay. It kinda felt good to talk about it after so long. Thanks for listening," he tried to brighten his smile but it didn't reach his swollen, blue eyes.

His normally stoic friend gave him such an unusually soft expression that it made Naruto's heart pound rapidly in his chest. He suddenly became very aware of their proximity, so close that they could practically kiss each other. Naruto looked into those beautiful, sea-foam green eyes and he felt like he was drowning, and all he wanted to do was lean in and kiss Gaara. The redhead stared at him intently, as if he wanted to say or, maybe, do something, and Naruto felt drawn to him like a gravitational pull. He raised a shaky hand to lightly place on his tutor's soft chest, and suddenly, forgot how to breathe-

Then a muffled buzzing sound startled both teens. Gaara frowned as he pulled away to pull his iPhone out of his pocket. He stood up to answer the call.

Naruto was ready to fling himself under the covers in embarrassment and frustration. This time, he knew they were about to have a moment until they were so expertly cock-blocked by a phone call. _Of course_ that would happen.

When Gaara finished speaking he hung up the phone and turned to face the blonde student sitting on the bed. He looked...disappointed.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go," the redhead murmured regretfully.

Naruto tried his best not to childishly pout before nodding his head. "A-Alright. I'll walk you to the door," he offered.

He shuffled after Gaara out into the living room-kitchen. He grabbed the redhead's leather jacket as he put on his shoes. The blonde helped the gorgeous teen slip his jacket on.

"Thanks for...everything today, Gaara," Naruto said.

"Thank you. It was really enjoyable. Will you be okay by yourself?" Gaara asked, concern etched on his pale face.

The Uzumaki couldn't help but smile reassuringly. "Yeah, I'll be okay," he scratched the back of his head out of habit.

His tutor didn't look entirely convinced but he nodded anyway. He paused for a moment before pulling the slightly shorter freshman into a tight hug. Naruto felt like his heart would burst from sheer happiness as he wrapped his arms around Gaara. Tears threatened to fall again but he held them back, lest he worry his crush even more.

The two students reluctantly separated. Naruto unlocked and opened the door to let Gaara pass.

"I'll see you on Monday, Naruto."

The blonde's smile was a few shades brighter. "Yeah! See you Monday, Gaara. Drive safely."

The redhead nodded his head in farewell before walking away. Naruto closed and locked his door before resting his back on it and sliding to the floor. He sighed in contentment.

* * *

Naruto strolled into his third period class, World History. Hyuuga Hinata was one of his classmates, and she gave him a small wave as he sat down next to her. The 'Do Now Assignment' on the board required two students to partner-up to answer questions the teacher had written down. Naruto and Hinata pushed their desks together so they could tackle the questions.

"Um, N-Naruto-kun...Can I ask you for s-some advice?" The dark-haired girl asked meekly.

Her blonde partner looked up at her from his textbook, "yeah?"

Hinata looked away, a pink blush gracing her features. "Um, w-well...I, uh...oh," she mumbled, then hid her face in her hands, "i-it's so embarrassing..."

"Aw, c'mon, I'm sure you can tell me!"

The Hyuuga peeked from over her hands before placing them carefully on her lap. "Um, well, I really like t-this boy but I don't think he knows so I wanted to know...how to make him notice me..." She said softly.

Naruto grinned. "You're talking about Kiba, right?" He nudged her playfully.

Hinata flushed and looked at her lap, "how did you know?"

"Well, it is pretty obvious how much you like him, and how much he likes you," the blonde replied.

The shy freshman looked up at him with wide eyes, "W-what?"

"Kiba does like you, Hinata. He's just in denial about it 'cause he's stupid," Naruto said frankly, scribbling the questions into his notebook.

Hinata turned the pages in her book to where the answers to the first question would be before speaking. "S-so what d-do you think I should do?" She asked almost in a whisper.

"Tell him, of course!" Naruto all but yelled, "Kiba isn't going to realize his feelings for you unless you tell him how you feel. Trust me," her classmate said with strong certainty burning in his eyes.

The dark haired girl gave a small nod and a smile, "I'll try my best...T-thanks Naruto-kun..." she whispered.

Naruto smiled and gave her a reassuring pat on the back, "No problem!"

The two students continued to work on their joint assignment, which only took 15 minutes. Their teacher was busy helping other students, so they had extra time to spare. Hinata diligently went over their answers to make sure they were correct.

"How are things with Sabaku-senpai?" She asked softly so no one else would hear.

Now it was Naruto's turn to blush. Just the sound of his crush's name made him want to giggle like some love-sick girl.

"Things are good. He came over to my apartment Saturday and we had dinner. It was really nice!" He said jovially.

Hinata smiled, "That's wonderful, Naruto-kun. Have you told him how you feel yet?"

The blonde freshman pouted and shook his head. Then a thought crossed his mind and he murmured, "Do you know, um, anything about the relationship between Gaara and your cousin?" He murmured.

The Hyuuga looked surprised and slightly uncomfortable, "Um, well, they're good friends."

Naruto frowned, sensing more to the story. "Were they ever...more than that?" He almost didn't want to know.

"W-Well," Hinata began, looking around nervously before whispering, "I-I think they were...seeing each other last year. I mean, they were always good friends, but t-then they became more than that. It was kind of a secret though, b-because our family is very old-fashioned and would never approve of Neji nii-san being...well, g-gay."

Naruto raised his eyebrows at that.

"I found out b-by accident because I saw them k-kissing and Neji made me promise not to tell...b-but they stopped last summer, I think, c-cause Sabaku-senpai stopped coming over. That's all I really know, s-sorry..." The timid student said.

Naruto noticed their teacher walking up to the board to start class. "It's okay. Thanks for telling me," he mumbled to her.

"You're welcome," she whispered back.

As their teacher went over the 'Do Now', Naruto wondered more about the relationship between Gaara and Neji. It was a relief to know that they were no longer romantic. For all he knew, his redheaded tutor dumped the Hyuuga for being a total asshole. It made Neji's possessiveness even more irritating.

_Whatever_, Naruto thought. Gaara wanted to be his friend, and he probably wouldn't like to hear that the blonde was threatened by his ex-boyfriend. He would tell Neji that the next time the upperclassman tried anything. Naruto smiled, no longer worried about the situation.

* * *

During lunch time, the Dead-Lasts took their usual spot under tree in the courtyard. It was starting to get cooler, but it was still nice enough to be outside in the sun. Naruto ate from his bento box while chatting with Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino.

Kiba and Hinata entered the courtyard together. The dog lover carried his lunch tray in his hands, pointedly ignoring Hidan and Kazuku, who stood nearby. The gang members smirked and Hidan stuck his foot out, causing the poor freshman to trip and send his lunch flying to the ground. Hinata gasped in fright as the two bullies guffawed. The other students in the courtyard laughed as Kiba struggled to get up.

Naruto immediately went to the aid of his friend, who was being helped up by Hinata. Kiba groaned at the sight of his spilled food, "My lunch..."

The blonde freshman shot Hidan a dark look, "You're a fucking asshole," he growled.

The Akatsuki member grinned arrogantly. "Get over it, _dead-last_," he sneered.

Naruto stepped forward, "Don't call me that."

"I can call you whatever the fuck I want, _dead-last_," Hidan replied, stepping forward until he was right in front of the Uzumaki, "I dare you to try and stop me."

The blonde felt like clocking the bastard right in his face, but he had a better on hold on his emotions than that. Plus, he really didn't want to get suspended and then have to answer to his uncle. Naruto rolled his eyes at the aggressive gang member and turned to walk away. Kiba and Hinata looked at each other in uncertainty before walking away as well.

"Fag!" Hidan called. Kazuku sniggered. He said it loud enough that everyone could hear him.

The color drained from Naruto's face as he turned to face his bully. Kiba gaped and Hinata's eyes widened in shock. Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino, who had cautiously approached in the scene, looked on in disbelief. Naruto could hear the faint murmurs of the onlookers. They wanted to see his next move.

"W-what did you just call me?" The blonde asked, trying to keep his voice steady. There was no way Hidan knew his sexual orientation, but calling him that was a low blow regardless. He knew the upperclassman was trying to set him off. _Keep calm, Naruto._

Hidan crossed his arms triumphantly. "You heard me. I called you a fag. You're a bitchy, dead-last, little _faggot_," he taunted menacingly.

Naruto snapped, and before Kiba could grab him, he forcefully shoved Hidan. The Akatsuki member was briefly taken aback before he sneered and swung his fist right into Naruto's cheek. The impact was so forceful that the blonde freshman's head whipped to the side and he fell, his head hitting the ground. There was shouting all around and in a daze Naruto looked up at the upperclassman towering over him. But in his mind he didn't see Hidan...he saw his former foster father glaring down at him. He was struck with déjà vu and it terrified him. He had been in this kind of situation too many times.

_He lies on the rough carpet, whimpering, as he looks up at him. He's done something, he can't remember what, but it's bad because Kurama is livid. He tries to scramble backwards but the man bends down to snatch the collar of his t-shirt, curling it tightly in his hand. _

_"You never learn, do you?" The man hisses in a low voice. Naruto can see Kurama's fist raise up, ready to strike._

_"No, no, no, NO, NO, NOOOOOO!" The blonde screams, his cries echoing through the empty apartment._

Kakuzu yanked his foster father, _no_, Hidan away from him. His friends surrounded him, and Shikamaru barked at the ever-growing crowd of students to get back. Kiba tried to touch Naruto on the shoulder, but the blonde flinched and covered his face, "No, please, don't..." He whimpered.

"Give him space, man," Shikamaru's voice cautioned.

"Someone get Hatake-sensei!" Choji's voice called.

"I think he hit his head..." Someone, maybe Shino, murmured.

"Naruto?" Kiba asked, worried.

"Please, I'm s-sorry, I won't do it again, just don't hurt me..." Naruto pleaded tearfully into his hands. It was as if he was five years old all over again.

"It's okay, Naruto, he's gone," Kiba said. He felt a light touch on his hand and he tensed. "Hey, it's alright, okay?" His voiced soothed, as if he were speaking to a frightened animal.

His blonde friend slowly moved his hands away from his face to see all his friends looking at him with deep concern. The other students watched with curious and shocked stares. Naruto blinked in confusion.

"W-what happened?" he asked in a shaky voice. In fact, his whole body was trembling. He rubbed his eyes and realized he had been crying.

"You don't remember?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto's fearful blue eyes widened as he looked around frantically, panic slowly rising. "W-where d-did he go?"

"Hidan is gone, Naruto," Kiba replied.

"Hidan? N-no, I mean-" he stopped when it dawned on him that he was at school and there was no way his foster father was here. The thought brought fresh tears to his eyes but he rubbed them away. Naruto was already humiliated enough; he didn't need to add to it by crying in front of his whole lunch period.

"Alright everyone, step aside please!" A stern voice called. The students parted ways for Kakashi to hurry through, followed by Hinata.

Shikamaru and Shino moved so Kakashi could kneel in front of Naruto, "Are you alright, Uzumaki?" He asked calmly

The blonde student gave a small shake of his head.

The Literature teacher nodded in understanding and offered his hand to help Naruto up. The freshmen looked at his feet as he was escorted out of the courtyard.

"Naruto!" Kiba called.

The blonde turned back to see his friends. It looked like Kiba was going to run after him because Shino was holding into his bicep.

Naruto gave them a sad smile and made a dismissive gesture before following Kakashi through the doors.

* * *

"Uzumaki, Shimura-sensei will see you now."

Naruto, holding an ice pack to his swollen and bruised cheek, got up and entered the Vice Principal's office. Shimura Danzo looked up from his desk as the blonde student sat in front of him.

The Vice Principal of the Hidden Leaf Academy regarded Naruto with a stern expression as he clasped his hands and rested them on his desk. Naruto didn't know what to say, so he remained silent.

"How are you doing, Uzumaki-san?" He asked impassively.

The freshman brought his ice pack away from his face to show his bruise.

"I have yet to deal with Hidan, but I wanted to hear from you what happened," Danzo said.

Naruto sighed before going into detail about his confrontation with the upperclassman, omitting everything after the punch. Although the prospect of Hidan being inevitably suspended was appealing, the eventual retaliation from the the Akatsuki was not. The blonde wondered if he was ever going to survive his freshman year.

Danzo sensed that Naruto had left the aftermath out. "Is that all?" He asked pointedly.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it."

The Vice Principal took a deep breath and sat back in his chair. Naruto squirmed under his hard gaze. Danzo was an unnervingly serious man who seemed to know _everything_ about every student in the school. He didn't say anything for almost a minute. Then he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk with his hands clasped in front of him.

The phone rang. "Excuse me," Danzo said before answering. There was a quick pause before he answered, "Send him in."

Naruto didn't need to ask who he was referring to, for the person strolled in. Hidan didn't give the freshman a second glance before sitting down and folding his arms. The principal sternly narrowed his one uncovered eye at him. The upperclassman didn't even glance his way.

"I have just finished speaking with Uzumaki-san about what happened. You realize how serious this is," Danzo said, a statement rather than a question.

Hidan rolled his eyes, "Whatever. If he doesn't want to get punched then tell this kid to keep his hands off me."

"Are you kidding me? I would have never done anything had you not called me a fag!" Naruto shot back.

The upperclassman shrugged. "Not my fault you can't take a joke," he retorted derisively.

Danzo shook his head disapprovingly, "Hidan, using derogatory words is no joke. I can give detention for that alone. Yes, Uzumaki-san was wrong to shove you," he looked at Naruto as he said that, "but you retaliated, and caused bodily harm. That is unacceptable. I'm afraid I will have to suspend for one week."

Hidan didn't even try to hide his contempt. He looked like he wanted punch the Vice Principal too. "Whatever," he muttered.

Danzo turned his attention back to Naruto, "I'm giving you one day of detention for pushing. I hope you both take this time to reflect on your actions and learn not to act your emotions. Hidan, I will be calling your father to come pick you up, so collect your things. Uzumaki, you can go back to the class."

Hidan snorted. "Don't bother." He shot the stern man a cold look before walking out, but the older man remained impassive.

Naruto went to leave, but then lingered nervously at the door. Danzo's eye turned to the blonde student questioningly. "Is there something else, Uzumaki-san?"

"Um, well, I was wondering if I can go home for the day."

The Vice Principal considered the request before looking away, "Very well. I will call your guardian to pick you up."

"That isn't necessary, Shimura-sensei. I don't have a guardian."

Danzo paused to protest, but then nodded as if remembering something. "Ah, that's right. Well, you many leave as you wish."

The blonde student politely bowed before leaving. He got a slip excusing him from classes for the rest of the day. Sixth period was almost over and he wanted to hurry and go to his locker before the bell rang. After what happened, he was in mood to face the rest of the school. He could only imagine how quickly the news of the fight had spread. Naruto felt completely humiliated when he remembered his mental breakdown. He hadn't had one in years. However, in retrospect, no one else had punched him since his former foster-turned-adoptive father. In fact, the man was the only person who ever laid a hand on him.

The bell rang as soon as Naruto left the building, and he was able to leave without being seen. Although, his absence would definitely be noticed, especially by Gaara. He felt disappointed that he wouldn't see his crush today. He didn't want the redhead to see him like this anyway. He wouldn't be too happy when he saw the massive bruise that bloomed on Naruto's cheek.

As soon as he got home, he looked at his face in the mirror and cringed. The right side of his face was purple and swollen. Hidan had punched him right in the cheekbone, so the swelling left his eye half-open. Even making facial expressions proved to be painful. _Fan-fucking-tastic._

He threw himself into bed and called his uncle. The poor teen broke down into tears when he told Jiraiya about being punched and having a flashback to when he lived with Kurama. His face hurt from crying.

Jiraiya sighed, "I'm really sorry to hear that, kid. You know, I always worry about you being on your own. I know you're strong and you've been doing well this past year but...I don't know. I wonder if leaving you on your own was the right thing to do."

Naruto wiped his tears away on his school shirt. "W-what are you saying?" He asked shakily.

"Nothing kid, nothing. Look, I'm going to leave for Konoha first thing in the morning. It's about time I take a break anyway."

Although the blonde didn't want to take his uncle away from his work, he did miss the perverted writer. The thought of a visit made him smile slightly. "It would be nice to see you," he said softly.

"I'll be in tomorrow evening. We can get some ramen."

"Sounds great!"

Naruto heard his uncle chuckle, "You never change, Naruto. Only you would perk up at the sound of free ramen," he chuckled again.

"You better believe it!" The blonde said.

"Alright, kid. I gotta go. I was in the middle of research."

The freshman rolled his eyes. "Stop spying on naked girls, you pervert!" He yelled playfully.

His uncle snorted. "This _research_ helps pay for that school and apartment of yours, kid. I got a deadline to make!"

"Okay, okay. Just don't get caught. Bye."

"Later, Naruto."

Naruto hung up and placed his cellphone on his desk. Since he had nothing to do (besides homework, but he didn't want to think about that), he relieved himself of his school uniform and fell asleep.

* * *

The sound of the doorbell woke Naruto up. He groaned, thinking it was morning, until he looked at his clock and saw the time read 5:07 PM. The doorbell rang again as he slipped on a black t-shirt and orange gym shorts. The blonde shuffled to the door and looked in the peephole. He gasped and scrambled to open the door.

Gaara stood before him, looking amazing as usual in his black leather jacket and burgundy skinny jeans. His seafoam green eyes widened at the sight of his friend's face.

"Hey Gaara! Um, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked. He had to try hard not to grin, but it wasn't working and he was feeling the consequence of it.

"Your _face_..." Gaara murmured.

Naruto wince as he ran his fingers over his bruise, "Yeah, it sucks. Kinda hurts a lot too."

The redhead did not look pleased. The freshman quickly ushered him inside to take a seat at the kitchen table. He was about to ask Gaara if he wanted tea when his crush pulled him into a tight hug. Naruto was was completely stunned. This was the first time he had received any form of affection from his tutor since the last night. His heart pounded rapidly into his chest as he slowly returned the gesture. Gaara slowly pulled away and Naruto had to stop himself from whining in disappointment.

"I was looking for you during study hall when Neji told me that you got into a fight with Hidan and that he made you cry. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer your phone. After school I spoke to Nara Shikamaru and he told me what really happened," the redhead said.

Naruto looked away in embarrassment. Great, the whole school was gossiping about him. It sounds like everyone thought he was a big crybaby. He groaned.

"Nara told me that you were screaming and he had never seen you so frightened before. It was like you were seeing something that wasn't there," Gaara murmured.

The young blonde couldn't stop the tears from falling as he hung his head. "When Hidan hit me, I remembered being hit by _him_. I-I just..." He trailed off sadly.

The Sabaku drew a weeping Naruto back into his arms. He could feel the older teen's hands softly stroke his back.

"It's okay now. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you," he murmured into his ear.

Even in tears Naruto could feel a shiver of delight go down his spine at the feeling of Gaara's low, warm voice in his ear. He looked up into the green eyes he had come to love and saw a burning resolve in them. The intensity of his gaze made Naruto blush and look away. All his life he had no one to truly care for him. No one offered to protect him except his uncle. For his Senpai, someone who had gone out of his way to tutor and befriend him, to care so much for his physical and mental well-being was baffling.

The teens reluctantly parted and Naruto got a tissue to wipe his eyes. He had been crying way too much lately. Gaara took a seat at the table and the blonde joined him.

"Are you hungry? I'll order us food. And _don't_ tell me to do otherwise," the older teen said with a glare.

Naruto beamed, but winced at the pain. Gaara frowned ever-so-slightly at the sight of his friend's discomfort. The blonde student picked up a menu from a local sushi place and handed it to his guest. The two teens ordered dinner together (with the wealthy Sabaku ordering the most expensive items on the menu for the two of them). Gaara could not forget about Naruto's Math homework, so they had their private tutoring session while waiting for their food to be delivered. The freshman felt completely at ease with his tutor-turned-good friend, forgetting all the crazy shit that happened at school. That was what Naruto loved about the redhead; Gaara was able to turn his dark days into bright ones.

Their time together seemed to fly by because it was already 9:00 at night. Gaara helped Naruto clean up after dinner before getting ready to leave. The blonde had enjoyed himself so much - he didn't want his crush to leave. He wondered if it would be weird to say that aloud. The whole time he debated whether or not he should come out and reveal his feelings, but he was too afraid to make the first move. As he watched Gaara put on his leather jacket, he remembered the advice he gave Hinata. _Just tell him!_

"Um, thank you so much, Gaara!" Naruto said.

His crush's lips quirked into a slight smirk, "Anything for you, Naruto," he said confidently.

The blonde's heart stopped. _God, why did that seemed so incredibly sexy?_ His face reddened as he shuffled over to open his apartment door. _Now is your chance, Naruto!_

"G-good night, Gaara," he stuttered.

The redhead gave his arm a squeeze as he went out the door, "Yes, good night."

_Come one Naruto! Just do it! _

"Uh...Gaara?"

Gaara, who was already out in the hallway, turned around.

"Yes?"

_I Like you!_ The blonde opened his mouth but he couldn't find the words.

"Uh, I, uh..."

His crush tilted his head in curiosity.

_I like you, Gaara!_

"I...I-I'll see you tomorrow!" He blurted. He felt like face-palming. What an epic fail.

The redhead frowned slightly but nodded in agreement.

"Alright...tomorrow," then he turned and walked down the hall.

Naruto groaned in frustration at himself and in pain because his cheek throbbed. He felt like such a coward. He wanted so bad to tell Gaara how he felt! Every time he was close to the redhead he wanted to kiss him and pour his heart out. The blonde sympathized with poor Hinata. It was easier said than done.

Sighing, he went to get ready for bed when his doorbell rang. Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion as he went back to his door. He opened it to find Gaara, who looked very determined.

"Uh, hi! Did you forget something?" Naruto asked.

The redhead said nothing as he grabbed a fistful of Naruto's shirt and pulled him forward, instantly capturing the younger teen's lips in a soft, warm kiss.

Fireworks went off in his head as the blonde timidly kissed back. It felt so good that Naruto prayed he wasn't dreaming.

All too soon Gaara pulled away and smugly smirked at the breathless freshman. He seemed satisfied with his stunned yet happy expression when he said, "I'll see you tomorrow," before turning and leaving.

Naruto stood at his open door, gaping in disbelief. Did Gaara just kiss him? _On the lips_? He touched them, still feeling a slight tingle. He turned to shut and lock his door. Gaara kissed him.

_I can't believe it, he must have read my mind!_ Naruto grinned, ignoring the pain, as he went to bed.

He couldn't wait for tomorrow.

* * *

_Well, there you have it! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if it was so weird and depressing. Please review! I love reading your comments._

_Also, I want to find an artist to make a cover for my story. If you know of anyone, or if you're interested, drop me a PM._


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